Big in Japan: What Exactly is Wasabi?

by Matthew Firestone on

Did you ever wonder what exactly that green stuff is that you smear on your sushi?

I mean, we all know that wasabi (わさび, 山葵) burns like a hell-spawned wildfire, and clears the sinuses with a fiery vengeance. But, where does it actually come from, and how can something so seemingly innocent be so unbelievably potent?

For starters, the best wasabi comes from Japan (no surprise there), most notably the Izu peninsula in Shizuoka prefecture. Much like American horseradish, wasabi plants grow naturally in stream beds, particularly where there is clean water that is free of impurities.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of smearing just a tad too much of the stuff on your tuna roll, wasabi is a nasal irritant that is more comparable to hot mustard than it is to chili pepper. That wonderful little chemical that can have you rolling your head on the sushi bar is called an isothiocyanate, which coincidentally inhibits microbe growth.

Although there’s no denying that wasabi brings out the flavors of sushi, it may have been traditionally added to raw fish in order to prevent it from spoiling.

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Needless to say, you shouldn’t eat raw fish unless you’re absolutely confident in the quality of the fish. Just because sushi makes an appearance at an all you can eat buffet doesn’t necessarily mean that you should eat all you can!

Interestingly enough, most Americans have never actually eaten real wasabi as the stuff sold stateside is usually squeezed out of a tube. In fact, this stuff actually doesn’t even contain any real wasabi, and is usually nothing more than horseradish, mustard seed, and green food coloring.

Real wasabi, which I can assure you has no equal substitute, is sold in Japan in the form of a root.

Before it can be used, the wasabi plant is grated on a metal oroshigane (卸し金), which is a special kind of grater used solely for wasabi. Traditionally of course, the best graters were made of shark skin, and today upmarket sushi restaurants in Tokyo still grate wasabi according to this method.

(By the way, the lovely lady in the picture to the right is my dear mother, who is clearly showing her prowess at grating wasabi. Of course, not that she would ever touch the stuff, or sushi for that matter, but you can’t deny that she has good technique).

Once the wasabi paste is prepared, it should remain covered until served in order to protect the flavor from evaporation. In case you were wondering, this is the actual reason why sushi chefs always put the wasabi between the fish and the rice.

Well, I hope this little lecture on wasabi has been informative. Now that you know exactly what wasabi is, go ahead and impress your friends with some wasabi trivia the next time you’re sitting at a sushi bar.

But seriously – go easy on the stuff – it really does pack a serious punch!

Interactive Map of Regional Foods: Where is Goetta?

by Jamie Rhein on

Almost every time I head to northern Kentucky to visit my aunts I swing by Kroger for oatmeal sausage. It’s one of my childhood favorite foods that my grandparents served. The quest for oatmeal sausage, also called goetta, has been a lifelong venture. When we used to live further away, I would freeze it and wrap it in newspaper to bring it home. When I lived in overseas, I’d bring packets of Skyline Cincinnati-style chili mix with me. To my delight, White Castle cheese burgers were sold at the American Club grocery store in New Delhi. We rarely bought them, maybe twice, but they were like an old friend to call on if need be. Then there’s Hatch green chile that is roasting in various spots of New Mexico this time of year. I used to buy a bunch and freeze it to use throughout the winter.

When going to Vietnam, one reason to head to Hoi An is the Cau Lau noodles. This particular style is only made here. In Taiwan, the town of Beipu has a tea that you grind up with seeds and nuts in a mortar and pestle. It’s the town’s signature beverage. No matter where you live there are regional dishes that you often can’t get elsewhere, and when you can, it feels as if home has followed you.

This month’s National Geographic magazine has an interactive map of the United States that you can click on to find out about regional favorites. In Ohio, it’s Buckeyes, a candy made with chocolate and peanut butter made to look like the state nut. Here’s a past post I wrote about them for Blogging Ohio. Sometimes the state’s entries have a story that goes with it. Click on New Mexico and you’ll find Elaine Thatcher’s chile verde story. Restaurants in New Mexico that sell Mexican and New Mexican food (there is a difference) have green chile and red chile options. Go for the green–or get both.

I’m sure you all are brighter than me, but to get the interactive map, you need to click on continue at the bottom of the page. Not all states have entries, but there is a new blog, Pop Omnivore at the bottom where people are adding stories about their regional favorites. Thanks, dear friend, Marilyn Terrell at Intelligent Traveler who sends us lovely tidbits to blog about. She sent this one our way.

How France Saved Me from an Eating Disorder

by Catherine Bodry on

Before I left for my first trip to Europe, I’d spent a good portion of my college years living on white rice, toast, salad, and multivitamins (and cheap beer, of course). I ran every day, and while I was never skeletal, I was pretty skinny. I continued to lose weight when I traveled around Europe en route to Angers, France, and I often got comments about how tiny I was. I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that I would’ve continued my habits had not the culinary attitudes of the French intervened. Once I settled in to my host family’s routine, which involved a 3-course dinner every night, I could feel the flab coming on. I resisted for a good month, by avoiding patisseries and making myself jog.

And one day, the voice that told me white rice with bouillon cubes was tasty just changed its mind, and I made the choice to enjoy my time in France and worry about my weight when I returned to the U.S. There would be no forcing myself out running in striped tights with these sophisticated French women giving me strange looks. I was NOT going to eat rice while everyone else ate flan.And so I learned to enjoy food the way many French people do: slowly and simply. Granted, I tended to go for seconds when no one else did. And since I lived out of town, I often sometimes went to bed with a full stomach and a book directly after dinner. And maybe I ate savory crepes and croque monsieurs a little too often for lunch. Annnnd maybe I knew when a certain patisserie down the road took pain au chocolat out of the oven every afternoon. At any rate, I gained 20 pounds while I was there, and I was able to lose most of it when I got back. But I’ve never gone back to the white rice diet. Sometimes I wish I could recapture that incredible discipline, but at the same time, I’m glad I had the opportunity to experience a culture that savors its cheesy, creamy cuisine.

Thanks to wander.lust on Flickr for the memory of dessert cases filled with eclairs and tartes, which, thank goodness, I didn’t not often pass by.

Another Reason why you Should (or Should Not) go to Prague

by Grant Martin on

These days, the word on Prague is out. Back in the nineties it used to be a beautiful Bohemian destination where you could get a good deal on accommodation, beer and souvenir fur hats against the backdrop of a magnificent castle overlooking the city. These perks still apply, its just that everyone knows about it, and they’re all here doing the same thing.

Of particular notice are the volume of young Westerners running around at night. You don’t see them much during the day, but once the sun goes down the percentage of Czech spoken on the street is slowly overtaken with British and American English.

With good reason. Considering the strength of the Pound Sterling and Euro over the Czech Crown, Westerners can drink an evening full of beer here for the same price that they could get a round in the UK. And drink they do. This chap was screaming like a lunatic before he came around the corner, saw us, and immediately went to sleep. Perhaps an apt metaphor for the current state of Prague.

Best American Cities to Retire: A Pleasant, but not Surprising Find

by Jamie Rhein on

Columbus, Ohio is listed as a city that has the best neighborhood as a place to retire. It’s actually first on AOL’s money and finance list. And to think I almost already live in the Short North. I could walk there if I felt like it. I’m not surprised about the Short North. It is my favorite section of the city, and, in a life without kids, I’d probably live there myself. What surprises me about the report is the comment “Not much in the way of nature around Columbus.”

WHAT!!! There are parks galore in the Columbus MetroPark system that rings the city. Because of its proximity to I-70, I-71, I-670 and 315, The Short North is about a 20 minutes drive from at least four of them. Most of the parks have programs every week and there are biking, hiking and picnic area shelters at each. At least three of them have nature centers. A few weeks ago we went on a 3 1/2 mile hike called Howl at the Moon at one of them. This was a dog and kid friendly event that took us through woods and around fields bursting with fall wildflowers. The park system if fabulous and it’s FREE.

Then there is the mention that downtown has nothing to do. WHAT!!!

Last night I had a double header, both events spur of the moment. The first was a FREE happy hour at the Southern Theatre, the oldest theater in Ohio. It opened 1896 and was restored in the late 1990s making it one of Columbus’s best architectural gems. This event included wine, beer, food and a ProMusica concert. ProMusica is Columbus’s chamber orchestra. The event was a kick-off to entice subscribers. There was a buy one get one free deal. I’m now a subscriber. On the way home, I asked my husband to swing by the Palace Theatre, another downtown architectural delight, so I could see if there was at least one David Sedaris tickets left. Eureka! A man who was waiting by the box-office to get rid of a ticket, sold me one for $10. After dropping my husband off at home, I drove back, parked for $5 and ended up sitting 8 rows back from the stage in the center of the row. After it was over, I chatted with David (as did all the other people waiting in line) and was back home 10 minutes after David said, “Nice to see you again.” I saw him last year as well.

On Thursday night, I had a conflict so I wasn’t able to go to the opening of the Monet exhibit at the Columbus Museum of Art. Also FREE for members. I’m a member. Oh, and where is the art museum? DOWNTOWN. The thing about Columbus is that there are so many things to do that it’s hard to choose. Today I’m going to the opening of Paul Busse’s train exhibit at the Franklin Park Conservatory which is close to DOWNTOWN. It’s not free but I have a buy one get one free admission, and tonight may head to a movie. One of the theaters I like to go to is DOWNTOWN. Still, if I was retiring, I’d pick the Short North and get out more.